Switzerland’s Burger wins Dutch leg of HH Sheikha Fatima Ladies race

Nadia Burger and Chalwa De Breull

Swiss lady jockey Nadia Burger revealed her skills as a professional when she got her horse Chalwa De Breull to win the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship race (Group 3) ahead of home favourite Cindy Klinkenberg on Lou Raynal and break the hearts of a large band of Purebred Arabian racing fans at the Duindigt racecourse in The Netherlands on Sunday, July 3.

The result left the Dutch jockey Klinkenberg in tears while the Swiss pro not only steered the 5-year-old mare Chalwa De Breull to her first win in four starts but also clinched a berth in the November finale of the HH Sheikha Fatima Ladies World Championship in Abu Dhabi.

The Gerd T. Zoetelief-trained Chalwa De Breull also earned another win for the Wathba Stallions, the breeding operations of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs as she was sired by Mahabb- one of the Wathba Stallions.

Nadia Burger became the 10th lady jockey to qualify for the 2017 HH Sheikha Fatima Ladies World Championship final.

Sweden’s Julia Presits followed Burger and Klinkenberg home on Raya C to take third place.

The winner covered the 1800-metre distance in 2.04 with the race carrying prize money of Euros 30,000. It was a 20th career win for Burger in 294 starts.

HE Saeed Ali Al Nuwais, UAE Ambassador to The Netherlands, Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Ms. Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of Int'l Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) and Nasser Al Nuwais, Chairman of Rotana Group gave away the trophies to the winning connections.

Also attending the race meeting which is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed, were UAE Chargé d'affaires Mariam Al Shamsi, Adel Al Amiri, the second secretary of the UAE embassy, and envoys of many other countries.

The UAE Envoy Al Nuwais said the race meeting was a success for women as well as for the UAE. “This race series has been growing in popularity every year and is a great reflection of the status that UAE accords for women,” he said.

Ms. Sawaya said the tears of the Dutch jockey after losing out a close finish to Swiss rider Nadia reflected the huge prestige that is attached to the series and the highly competitive nature of the races.

“We have ten lady jockeys who have qualified after today and we still have four more rounds to go in Belgium, Poland, England and Australia,” she said.

The races are part of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival which is sustained by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, with National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing Co. LLC as associate sponsors, The National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers, in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare and sponsored by Ayadi LLC, Global United Veterinary Services LLC,  Wathba Stallions, Abu Dhabi Falconers Club, Emirates Falconers Club,  Mohamed Bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Omeir Travels, Laboratories Fadia Karam Cosmetics, YAS Channel, Racing Post, Paris Turf,  Al Wathba Centre, the UAE's General Women's Union, The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2017, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Spa and Resort.

Source: HH SH Mansoor Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival / Satya Narayan
Photo: Morhaf Al Assaf